My Saturday morning walk was a poetry of colours. We’ve just stepped into May, so its only going to get better.
On Saturday afternoon, we got our second visit (this year) from Jehovah’s witnesses. The first visit surprised me, and I certainly never expected a second one. Who would imagine there would be Jehovah’s Witnesses in Italy. Not an easy job I’m sure. Hubby talked to them today, and politely sent them on their way. There aren’t many houses along our road, so I can’t imagine they converted anyone. Just as they left the church bells rang. I’m sure they must have felt defeated.
Sunday was beautiful. After some morning chores we decided to try a different cafe/bar for Aperitivo. I’ve glimpsed Bar Duerre Di Mariani many times as I’ve driven through Folignano. It’s just off the main road, and always looks lively. I’m glad we tried it out. Such a lively, happy, friendly place. We sat in the sun and enjoyed a couple of Proseccos, which of course came with salami, and bread slathered in olive oil. Hubby enjoyed it too. Another bar to put on our long list of places to re-visit. So many now, and all within ten minutes of home. I don’t think we’ve ever lived in such a lively area.
After lunch was cleared away I put my feet up after another full day. We always have something to do, even though we’re retired, but this is the way we like it. I can’t imagine sitting around all day doing nothing. Had we still been in Colorado I think we’d have been bored…or maybe I’d have spent more time on my orange Kubota…I do miss cutting those acres.
I was working on my book on Saturday, and reached part of the story which left me too emotional to continue.
In Summer of 2021, when covid faded into the background a little, hubby and I began to explore Italy again. We ventured further south to Calabria and spent a few days in Tropea. Beautiful place! On the first evening of our trip, we got a phone call from Joanna. My eyes are filling with tears again now as I think about it. “Mum, we had to say goodbye to Fendi today.” Fendi was Joanna’s dog. That smart, funny little pup, helped Joanna get through some very tough times. She was part of Joanna’s wedding, and a big part of our lives for a very long time. Neither hubby, or I, are dog people, but Fendi won us over. I loved the cute little pup. As I re-read, and edited that part of my book, I cried so hard I gave myself a headache. RIP Fendi. We’ll play together again one day.
Deep breaths, and a good nights sleep made me feel better.
Sunday arrived with winds and driving rain. The sunshine soon came and chased the bad weather away and a beautiful sunny day emerged. It was still a little on the cold side though, so I took advantage of some indoor time. I wrote, worked on my Italian…its never ending, and baked.
The painters are back on Monday morning and they (along with hubby) do like some sweet treats with their coffee. What was it on Sunday….Millionaire’s Shortbread. Everyone’s favourite!
There is no chance of me sticking to any sort of diet is there!!! Mauro turned up Monday morning with selection of delicious Italian sweet treats! My house is full of temptation.
If Monday was tiring, Tuesday was exhausting! We finished emptying the rooms in the downstairs area in preparation for Mauro and sons, our trusted painters. It was a tough job finding a place for everything. I have lots of trinkets and memory keepsakes. Hubby’s man cave was the worst room to empty. Gym equipment, computers, and all the stuff that goes with it.
To make myself feel a little better I baked a chocolate cake. Home comforts! I don’t eat cake myself, but the process of baking helps me to relax. Hubby enjoyed a large wedge with an afternoon coffee. It gave him the boost he needed to keep going.
Painting began on Wednesday. I call our downstairs area “the apartment”. It doesn’t have a kitchen but it does have a small living room, bedroom, bathroom, and gym/man cave. Of course, like the rest of the house, it was badly neglected by the previous occupants. Sad that such a beautiful place wasn’t valued. It’s lovely to see it all coming back to life.
Our last four years have been filled with upheaval, but I think we’re finally settled. This house has certainly been a challenge, but now it feels like home. My daughter loves it, and that means everything to me.
The one thing that has been constant over the last four years, is the beautiful countryside of Abruzzo, it never disappoints. I took a short walk on Wednesday afternoon. The greenery and beauty that surrounded me helped to soothe my overactive mind.
Beautiful weather so far this week, so lots of garden work keeping me busy. Hubby built me a wooden box to hold flower pots. I stained it on Wednesday morning so now all I have to do is fill it with flowers.
I’ve started work on my secret garden at the back of the house too! More of that to be revealed as I fill it with shrubs, flowers and “interesting things”. Retirement has been busy for me. This is a bigger house than we were looking for, but I do like the way it keeps me occupied, especially in the garden. We had three lovely acres in Colorado, but I couldn’t plant much because of the deer. My plants would be their smorgasbord. Finally, in my old age, I have the garden I always wanted. Let’s hope I have enough energy to tend to it.
As much as I love my garden, it doesn’t take up all of my time, we take many days off to explore this marvellous area. About ten years ago hubby and I watched a TV show about someone looking for a house in Le Marche. At the time I though it looked like a good place to live, then forgot about it. Now, on the border of Abruzzo and Le Marche, we are in the perfect position to explore both provinces, as well as the bordering regions of Lazio and Umbria. We can also be in Tuscany in a little over two hours.
On Thursday morning I visited Francesco, my hairstylist, who I almost didn’t recognise because he changed his image. “My new Spring look.” he said proudly in English. His usually shaved head was covered in a healthy looking mop of highlighted brown hair. How did it grow so quickly? I asked myself, but all was revealed. “Is good for due mese” he said. (Lasts for two months). OK! So it’s not real, but looked very good. My hairstylist has a very individual style, always dressed in black, with huge crosses hanging from his ears. Lovely guy!
Next shopping! I managed to make it to the mall without being rear ended.
I always forget how HUGE Easter is in Italy, and once again, was overwhelmed by the amount of Easter Eggs on sale. They were like castles in the supermercato.
Absolutely gorgeous walk on Thursday afternoon. And when I got home I had just enough energy left to bake. German apple cake to use up a couple of aging apples in the fruit bowl. Hubby does like cake in the house, and he finished the chocolate cake for breakfast.
Monday was a dramatic weather day! I awoke to swirling mists. My afternoon walk ended in dark skies and rain.
I’ve wanted to live in Italy for as long as I can remember. It took a long time to happen, but here we are, living the laid back Italian life. I may not be quite as laid back as the Italians (or even hubby), but I’m getting there. It takes a while to teach old dogs new tricks.
Everyone looks for something different when they move to another country. We wanted to immerse ourselves into the local community and its culture and we’ve done just that. We made life long friends with the good people in Colledimezzo, and now we have wonderful friends here in Gabbiano. I feel that fate brought us to our current location. It has everything we could possibly want! A perfect combination of small villages, historic towns, and of course my view of the beautiful Adriatic. The only thing missing is my daughter. She is always on my mind.
I thought I’d work on my book a little more when the painters were here, not much else to do, so a perfect opportunity. I wish! It seems when my routine is off, so are my writing capabilities. I’ll keep trying!
Monday brought rain and chilly temps again. I had errands to run in Ascoli, and timed them so I could pass by Istanbul Kebab on the way home! That was lunch sorted. I do enjoy a good kebab, but I’ll be glad when I can cook again. Two days to go! Looking forward to settling back into our freshly painted living room. It’s not quite finished yet, but already looks amazing.
Tuesday morning brought a brighter view. Heres hoping the rain stays away!
Friday was the coldest morning in weeks. Brrr! I’d have loved to light the fire early, but the living room is still covered in paper and plastic.
Mauro and his clan arrived bright and early. When he painted the outside of our house last year, he brought me gifts of fresh veggies from his father’s garden. On Friday he brought me a big bag of freshly picked lemons. They smelled divine. I see limoncello in my near future.
He was also full of news, the Tirreno Adriatico bike race was going through Villa Lempa, our local town, at noon. I’d never heard of it but Mauro and Matteo were quite excited.
My lunch plan for Friday was fried fish from the fish shop in Villa Lempa, but with the bike race passing through, I decided it was a bad idea. Parking would be difficult. Instead, we headed to Zio Mart, a restaurant that opened a couple of months ago on Viale Vibrata. We’ve been wanting to try it for a while. We got a nice surprise when we entered and were greeted by familiar faces. When we first moved to this area, hubby and I would enjoy pizza at My Way Bar/Pizzeria in Villa Lempa. We were sad when it closed. Now we know why. Zio Mart is owned by the folks from the Pizza Bar. It was so lovely to see them. Their new restaurant is open for lunch and dinner, and also serves as a friendly bar. They seemed happy to see us too. We enjoyed a delicious meal, antipasto, salmon ravioli, fritto misto and the grand finale was panna cotta. Yes, we will be back. Oh…and they also have a pizza oven. Happiness!
The bike race passed through Villa Lempa later than advertised and we were just ahead of it when we drove home from lunch. Many roads had barriers across them. The cyclists actually came close to our house, turning left on the road to San Giacomo just before they reached us.
Saturday was an exhausting day, mainly because I woke up at 5am and couldn’t go back to sleep. I kept myself busy to help me stay awake. I went shopping, peeled the lemons to make Limoncello, cooked, baked, then worked in the garden. Finally, around 4pm, I was fit to collapse. I was very happy with the millionaires shortbread I created. Hubby, and the painters will enjoy that with their coffee after lunch next week!
Speaking of painters…I keep walking around my living room, yes I know it’s still a mess, but I just can’t believe how good the ceiling looks. Truly amazing. Mauro and sons are the BEST!
Why am I showing a photo of these silly pups? Because they make me laugh…and they make my daughter happy! Tessa and Sloane, small pup and tiny pup.
The last bend before my house is always a welcome sight when I’m walking. Almost home! Wild primroses greeted me by the roadside on Wednesday. Spring is coming.
On Tuesday hubby appeared on MediaSet Forum. It was very odd seeing him on television. Is this his fifteen minutes of fame? How did it go? Well he certainly looked old and frail. Even I felt sorry for him. The show is loud with everyone talking together and shouting at each other. Thank heavens he didn’t have to speak. His stage wife did all of the talking for him. A bit like his real wife!!!
Tuesday was another sad day. So far this has been a bad year for friends. One of the nicest, kindest villagers in Colledimezzo passed away. He was and absolute gem. Always in the piazza chatting with his friends. He had a smile and a kind word for everyone. A welcoming, gentle soul. So sad to hear the news of his death. He will be sadly missed.
Wednesday was gloomy, but I didn’t let it dampen my mood. I took my chances and walked. It was misty, and deadly quiet, with no cars or people in sight, but I enjoyed it. It cleared my head. Even on gloomy days the countryside is beautiful.
I do love my Apple watch, and for the last five plus years, swear by it. I curse it sometimes too. If you have an apple watch, you probably know why. I feel guilty if I don’t close my rings every day. I love to hear that strict voice say EXERCISE RING CLOSED. If my move ring isn’t closed by mid evening, I prance around the living room, waving my arms around, until it celebrates my achievement with that fancy red circle. No hope for me is there? Still, it’s doing it’s job, getting me to move.
Years ago, in the US, I passed my test to ride a motorcycle. It was a three day course, and lots of fun. I was in my fifties at the time, and a student within a group of about eight other folks, all younger then me. We first took a written test, which I found quite easy. The most difficult part for me was manoeuvring the motorbike through tight twists and turns of the course that was set out. It looked very intimidating, but I suppose this was to prove I could control the bike in difficult situations. The final part of the challenge was to follow a tight S shape, immediately followed by a double circle, and then turn, accelerate, and listen for the the sound that indicated an emergency stop. As I turned tightly, staying within the lines, keeping the speed of the bike fast enough to stay upright without putting my feet on the ground, but not so fast I overshot my mark, I heard the others in my group quietly cheering me on. “Come on Sandra, you can do it. Come on, almost there.” My young, fellow students, gave me the confidence, and encouragement that helped me pass. I was so proud when I got a motorcycle added to my Colorado drivers license. Although I was tempted by the Ducati Monster, I never did buy a motorcycle, but hubby had one for most of his life. He rode to work, rode for fun, and generally just like riding. Our daughter rode a sports bike for a while too. Why do I bring this up? My friend Adam, who resides in Italy, is offering motorcycle tours. He wants to share the beauty of Abruzzo and Umbria with you, and what better way to see it? Check the link below for details.
Wednesday morning was a little chilly! It brought the Yorkshire saying to mind…Brass Monkey Weather. Are you familiar with it? Hubby kept himself busy studying the story for his acting gig next week. Apparently he’s going to be made up to look much older, and will be in a wheelchair. In the show, he and his (stage wife) will be on a video call from the US. The plot reveals itself slowly. He’s enjoying the challenge of doing something different.
Monday was wet and rainy with no sign of the sun so we filled our day working on small projects in the downstairs rooms. I had to keep busy because I was bordering on becoming miserable. They say misery likes company, but I disagree. Who wants to be around someone miserable? I don’t even like being around myself.
Hubby did a great job of fitting a ceiling fan in the big bedroom downstairs. I know, January doesn’t make you think of ceiling fans does it? The air is very still in the downstairs rooms, and if we don’t keep it circulating, it encourages damp, so we use the winter setting and force the warm air down. Italy is very humid. A shock to they system after the dryness of Colorado. Wonderful for your skin though!
After lighting our small wood burning stove, my mood improved considerably. For anyone with retirement on their horizon, I have to tell you, keeping busy is good for your well being. Not sure what would have kept me busy if we’d retired in Colorado…maybe we wouldn’t be retired yet. Maybe I’d still be working, and too tired to do anything else. Who knows?
On Monday afternoon I sat down to work on my book, but my creative juices just weren’t flowing. I needed the sun to show its face. It didn’t oblige.
Tuesday afternoon found me walking, despite the chilly temperatures. The top of the mountains behind our house, are peppered with snow, and the olive trees in the foreground make for quite a picture.
Is it nearly February? I’m over this month already!
We’re getting close to the big day. Things are falling into place for Christmas. Our Starlink satellite dish is up and running now, giving us really fast download speeds for those Christmas films. I have to admit, its even better than the fibre we had in our last home. I always said I’d never buy anything related to the dreaded Elon Musk, but we really didn’t have a choice.
Wednesday was a good day to be a mum. Joanna took me to Ascoli Piceno Christmas shopping so I could choose my own gift. After much thought, I decided on artwork. I never buy myself art anymore. Being a pensioner now, I’m careful with my pennies. We browsed art shops. Finally in Golden Age Arte & Oro by Federica, we found the perfect painting. Federica’s mum wrapped it for me, so it looks beautiful sitting under the Christmas tree.
After shopping, we stopped for an aperitivo and enjoyed the midday sun. Lovely! Joanna is very impressed with Ascoli Piceno, and and the people who live there. Everyone is so very nice and friendly. This makes me happy. It means she will return often.
Thursday found us in Ascoli Piceno again, this time for Sushi. The beautiful town is all decked for Christmas, and our grown up kids enjoyed it very much.
Travel Tales and Mishaps 